How long will the B-1 Bomber remain in service? Will it retire when the B-21 arrives?

By Kris Osborn - Warrior Maven

The Air Force is mapping a two-fold future path for its B-1 bomber which includes plans to upgrade the bomber while simultaneously preparing the aircraft for eventual retirement as the service's new stealth bomber arrives in coming years.

These two trajectories, which appear as somewhat of a paradox or contradiction, are actually interwoven efforts designed to both maximize the bomber’s firepower while easing an eventual transition to the emerging B-21 bomber, Air Force officials told Warrior Maven.

The B-21 is expected to emerge by the mid-2020s, so while the Air Force has not specified a timetable, the B-1 is not likely to be fully retired until the 2030s.

Service officials say the current technical overhaul is the largest in the history of the B-1, giving the aircraft an expanded weapons ability along with new avionics, communications technology and engines.

The engines are being refurbished to retain their original performance specs, and the B-1 is getting new targeting and intelligence systems, Grabowski said.

A new Integrated Battle Station includes new aircrew displays and communication links for in-flight data sharing.

Another upgrade called The Fully Integrated Targeting Pod connects the targeting pod control and video feed into B-1 cockpit displays. The B-1 will also be able to increase its carriage capacity of 500-pound class weapons by 60-percent due to Bomb Rack Unit upgrades.

The B-1, which had its combat debut in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, went to drop thousands of JDAMs during the multi-year wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The B-1 can hit speeds of MACH 1.25 at 40,000 feet and operates at a ceiling of 60,000 feet.

It fires a wide-range of bombs, to include several JDAMS: GBU-31, GBU-38 and GBU-54. It also fires the small diameter bomb-GBU-39.

Interesting point - the B-1 and B-52 (especially the B-52) have been in service for quite some time - do you think planned upgrades can keep them going? Glad you connected with Warrior Maven

Duanen

Jun 3

We'd be far better off keeping B-1B in service and retire the ridiculously old B-52. The B-1B is far more versatile than the BUFF, carries a bigger bomb load, is faster, and can fly stealthy below radar with its terrain and wavetop hugging flight profile. It makes a much better arsenal aircraft than the B-52, especially now that we've integrated LRASM on it ... with a capacity to launch 24 stealthy LRASM per bomber from hundreds of miles away, a single flight of B-1Bs could wipe out or disable most of the entire Chinese or Russian Pacific fleet.

Retire the BUFF and keep B-1B flying.

BigWillyHale

May 22

When it comes to employment altitude, the B-1 tends to operate in the 20k to 30k foot range. It also can’t carry the GBU-39 SDB.